Tuesday, July 24, 2012

After my younger sister Kimberly was accepted into graduate school at the School for International Training (SIT) in Brattleboro Vermont, I realized that I would probably be making several trips over to the East coast during the duration of her schooling. My sister and I are very close, and it was difficult for me to imagine being away from her for over a year! The first trip we planned was an extended weekend away in Boston, Salem, and Plymouth, Massachusetts. She decided to rent a car in Brattleboro, Vermont and drive down to meet me in Boston. We planned the trip to occur during the third weekend in October to coincide with the Halloween festivities in Salem and the beautiful changing of fall leaves in Massachusetts. I was so excited to visit this region of Massachusetts as I have always been extremely interested in the history of the area and the many historical offerings it has for visitors. Although it’s a small state, Massachusetts offers a wide range of activities and sights to choose from that you would normally expect from a much larger state.

Day 1 (Friday, October 17th 2008)

I took an overnight flight via JetBlue that left Seattle on Thursday around 23:00, arriving 4.5 hours later in Boston at 7:30. Unfortunately, although I had planned to sleep the entire duration of my flight, I only ended up with an hour of two of sleep. Needless to say, I was in quite a daze when we landed in Boston and ready to find a bed ASAP!

Fortunately, Boston has an efficient public transportation system, known as the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). From the airport, I took the silver line bus to South Station, located in downtown Boston. Next, I traveled via train on the red line to Braintree. The entire journey took about one hour and only cost me $2! That was the cheapest public transportation I have ever taken from an airport into a large city; I was quite impressed!

Kimberly and I had decided to stay in a hotel outside of downtown Boston, as hotel prices in the city center were astronomical. Since we were only spending one of our three days together in the city, we figured it was more efficient to find a cheaper place out of Boston that would allow us to park her car for free and make for easy access for the day-trips we had planned. Kimberly reserved a room at the Motel 6 in Braintree. We are not picky hotel travelers and just wanted a place that was clean and close to public transportation. The room only cost $90 per night and was literally right across the street from the T station. Apparently since our visit occurred several years ago they have since remodeled all of the rooms at this motel.

When I arrived at the motel, there were no rooms available for me to check-into, so I had to wait in the lobby for about 45 minutes until one was ready. This did not make my very happy as I was extremely exhausted and ready to collapse. I finally got to the room and was pleasantly surprised with what I saw; the room was very clean and was actually much nicer than any of the Motel 6 “type” hotels I have stayed in. After surveying the room, I literally collapsed in bed with exhaustion.

Our room at Motel 6 in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Kimberly was scheduled to arrive about 90 minutes later, so I knew I had to get some shut-eye before she came. However, my precious sleeping time was soon interrupted about 15 minutes later by several phone calls. Apparently, one of the maintenance workers had knocked on my door (didn’t hear him due to the ear plugs) and since I hadn’t answered, he decided to call me instead. He stated that he had to replace the cover for the heating and air conditioner unit, so I begrudgingly got out of bed to open the door. As soon as he put on the stupid cover, I got right back in bed and feel asleep immediately. About one hour later, I was again interrupted by the room phone ringing. In my dazed state, I didn’t answer the first time, but managed to the second time when it rang again. When I answered the phone, a woman responded and mentioned something about a car, but I couldn’t quite understand or hear her, due to the earplugs. I remember saying to her “sorry, I can’t hear you” and then she mentioned something about coming up to my room. I hung up and began to collect myself to head down to the lobby. I was so confused and irritated at this point, but finally remembered that Kimberly was on her way. I called and she instantly said “why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been trying to call you for 15 minutes!” In my sleep deprived state, I had not realized nor heard my cell phone ring. I somehow managed to wake myself up and walk down the stairs to meet her. Once back inside the motel room, she told me that she was the one who called from the front desk. Kimberly had wanted to save money on the reservation so she only booked the room in one name (mine). As a result, when she arrived she was unable to tell the front desk that she was here for her reservation as they would have charged us additional money for an extra person. Instead, she pretended to be from the local car rental agency and informed them she was here to drop off my car. The man at the front desk told her I was probably sleeping and then attempted to call, although I didn’t answer (that was the first phone call). He then gave her my room number and had her call herself. Apparently, her words to me were “this is Kimberly from Enterprise car rental and I am here with your car rental. Never during our short conversation had I realized that it was her! Quite a funny story now but not so much in that moment to Kimberly!

We finally left the motel about 30 minutes later, in my groggy and incoherent state. We took the T into central Boston from Braintree, arriving at Park Street Station about 20 minutes later. I was happy to see the beautiful sun and blue skies as we walked out of the train station. Although it was October, the temperature was warm and pleasant, in the low 60’s. We were both starving, so we stopped in for lunch at a place called Finagle A Bagel, which was a local Boston chain eatery. I had a grilled Panini sandwich with chicken, cheese, and pesto while Kimberly had a vegetarian bagel.

We ate our lunch quickly, so that we could arrive on time for our tour of the Freedom Trail put on by the Boston Common Visitor Information Center. The tour cost $12 per person, was supposed to last 90 minutes, and was led by an 18th century costumed guide. The Freedom Trail is a red path that leads through downtown Boston along 16 significantly historical sights of the city and is definitely one of the “must see” sights while visiting Boston. Although some people complete the 2.5 mile walk on their own, I thought that the tour would make a more meaningful visit as it would allow us to hear commentary on the history of the city and stories of its many inhabitants along the way. I truly feel that guided tours help make landmarks, museums, churches, etc come to life in a way not possible when touring on your own, and this was definitely the case with our tour. Along the tour, we saw many of the famous historical sights of Boston including the large and beautiful public park of Boston Common, the Granary Burying Ground (where many of the notable Bostonians have been laid to rest), and the Old State House, the oldest surviving public building in Boston. Our guide was extremely informative and provided good insight on the history of Boston. However, because our tour group was so large, we had difficulty hearing her at times. She was also the fastest walking woman I’ve ever encountered, so she was always so far ahead of the group!

Boston

Our tour guide on the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Boston

Freedom Trail in Boston

Massachusetts State House along the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Massachusetts State House along the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Freedom Trail in Boston

Freedom Trail in Boston

Park Street Church in Boston

Park Street Church in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Walking along the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Old City Hall in Boston

Old South Meeting House in Boston.

The Old State House in Boston.

The Old State House in Boston.

The tour finally ended 15 minutes late in front of the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which was home to the famous Quincy Market, built between 1824-1826. Kimberly and I decided to continue walking along the Freedom Trail ourselves, first stopping inside Quincy Market. She bought a drink at Starbucks and we both wandered the long hall, looking at all of the many food vendors. Originally, the venue was used as rental space for grocers, but today, most of the space is taken up by fast-food restaurants.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

I've traveled to San Diego twice during the last few years. The first was for five days in October 2009 and the second time occurred in May of 2012 for a business trip. Below is a description of all of the restaurants I ate at during my two visits. I also have a blog entry that describes sightseeing in San Diego.

Phil's BBQ:
When planning where I would eat at during my business trip to San Diego, the first place I decided on was Phil's BBQ due to the numerous reviews I had read on travel and restaurant blogs and the fact that it had more reviews on Yelp than I had ever seen for any other restaurant (over 4000). The massively popular restaurant currently has two locations (one in San Diego and one in San Marcos) with a third location to eventually open in Santee. I went to the location in San Diego. Unfortunately the restaurant does not take reservations so if you aren't planning on ordering take-out be prepared to wait for a very long time! My co-worker and I waited over an hour to get seated. However, the long line further cemented my reasoning for wanting to visit; I knew it was going to be good!

I ordered Baby Back Half Rib Dinner with a large size of Macaroni Salad. I misunderstood when ordering that I actually could have gotten two different small sides instead of just one large size of the same item. Although we had waited quite a long time in line, once we ordered our food arrived rather quickly. The ribs were incredibly delicious and extremely moist. The macaroni salad was also quite good, but as I mentioned previously I would have rather had someone else than just the salad. My co-worker ordered the Baby Back Rib and Chicken Dinner with two small sides of Fresh Cut Fries and Sweet Baked Beans. The chicken was also quite tasty and I absolutely loved the beans. Next time I go I will try to arrive a litter earlier in the evening in hopes of not having to stand in line for as long!

Interior of Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

Baby Back Rib and Chicken Dinner with Sweet Baked Beans and Fresh Cut Fries from Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

Baby Back Rib Half Rib Dinner with Macaroni Salad from Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

Super Cocina:
While in San Diego on my second visit I wanted to eat at least one authentic Mexican restaurant during my trip. Fortunately, Super Cocina was located just a short drive away from our training site in Mission Valley. Don't let the shabby exterior appearance of the building detour you; you will be pleasantly surprised when you walk inside.This home style Mexican restaurant serves food in a cafeteria-style environment with many of the dishes displayed in a glass case as you walk in. The menu board above the display case is in Spanish but don't let that intimidate you as the staff is ready to assist in translation. I ended up getting a combination plate which included carnitas (pulled pork), chicken mole, and rice and beans. The carnitas were unbelievably delicious; hands down the best carnitas I have ever eaten in my life! The chicken mole was also terrific. Best part of the meal? That entire plate of food cost less than $10!

Combo plate from Super Cocina in San Diego.

Zia's Bistro:
During one of the nights I was in San Diego for my training there was a planned dinner for our group at Zia's Bistro, which is located in the Little Italy neighborhood. This probably wouldn't have been on my first choice list of places to eat at due to its so-so reviews, but I didn't have much choice in the matter! The interior of the restaurant was cozy yet modern with a very nice outdoor eating area. Due to the large size of our group we ate inside.

The group ordered multiple appetizers including Calamari Fritti, Bruschetta, and Caprese. All three items were good but nothing extraordinarily memorable. For my main dish I ordered the Pollo Piccata with Risotto. Again, as with the appetizers my dish was good but nothing I would go running back for.

The restaurant worked well for our large group and catered to our needs quite well but the next time I am in San Diego I will try a different Italian restaurant!

I ate at this Mexican restaurant during my first trip to San Diego several years ago. The fun and energetic restaurant is located within the heart of Old Town. I ordered the Margarita Shrimp Tacos Platter which I remember as being good but not necessarily something I would order again. This restaurant serves typical Mexican-American food that most of us are familiar with. If you would prefer something more traditional then I would recommend that you head to Super Cocina as described above.

Margarita Shrimp Taco Platter from Cafe Coyote in San Diego.

Michele Coulon Dessertier:
This amazing little bakery is located in a lovely area of La Jolla. I stopped in for lunch during my visit to La Jolla and ordered the De Parma Prosciutto Sandwich. My friend ordered the Free-Range Chicken Salad which was beautifully presented. For dessert, we split one of their popular slices of Gateau Aileen cake which was not only gorgeous but also quite yummy! I would definitely stop in this wonderful little place again the next time I am in La Jolla!

During my first trip to San Diego, my dinner meal at a lovely French restaurant called Tapenade was definitely the dining highlight of my visit. Tapenade, like Michele Coulon Dessertier is also located in the heart of La Jolla. Every single item that was presented to me that night was incredibly delicious and brought me straight back to France. The dish that still stands out the most in my memory was the gnocchi appetizer; I remember that I oohed and awed over that with every bite I took. Unfortunately, I did not write down everything that my friend or I ate that night but I can assure you that it was all amazing!

Cupcakes Squared:
While stopping in at a grocery store, I happened to run across a cupcake shop called Cupcakes Squared. Being a huge fan of cupcakes, I thought I might as well check it out. I ended up buying one of their Not So Red Velvet and Vanilla cupcakes, both of which were tasty and moist. I really loved the concept of the square cupcake shape; so different and unique compared to other cupcake shops!

Cupcakes Squared in San Diego.

Cupcakes Squared in San Diego.

Hash Hash A Go Go:
Prior to my first trip to San Diego I had heard about Hash Hash A Go Go through one of my favorite blogs. At the time I was unaware that it was a chain with multiple locations throughout the US including Las Vegas and Chicago. The restaurant is one of the most popular places to eat breakfast in San Diego so it is advisable that you arrive early otherwise you will have to wait quite awhile for a table. Fortunately, I visited on a Monday which meant that there was no wait. I ordered a Strawberry Lemonade to drink which was delicious as well as one of the scrambles (Hardwood Smoked Bacon, Avocado, Onion & Swiss). My friend ordered one of the house hashes, although I don't remember which one it was! The food was delicious and extremely filling. The portions at Hash Hash are massive and an entree could easily be split between two people.

Strawberry Lemonade from Hash Hash A Go Go in San Diego.

My bacon, avocado, onion and swiss scramble from Hash Hash A Go Go in San Diego.

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About Me

I am an avid traveler, amateur photographer, and self-proclaimed foodie whose biggest passion in life involves discovering new places, people, and food. Long ago, I decided to make travel the most important priority in my life.
Traveling has altered my life in more ways than I will ever be able to describe. One of the biggest and most important things traveling has done to me is immensely change the way I measure quality of life. Travel has also broadened my perspectives and helped me realize that not everyone has the so-called “American Dream” and that having less things in life can actually make you a happier and more fulfilled human being. Through my travels I have gained a huge appreciation for cultural, political, and religious differences and diversity.
This blog will allow me to document all of my amazing travels, life-changing experiences, delicious food, and the interesting interactions I encounter as I travel through this very beautiful and diverse world.